Thill-coupling.



No. 875,721. PATENTBD JAN. '7, 1908.

N. H. MBRTES. THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1907.

WITNESSES:

IN VENTOR 0; M MMM 27 @f4/4 I 5M. 7M.

A TTORNE )ff n NICHOLAS H. MERTES, OF HARTFORD, WISCONSINTHILL-COUPLING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

AApplication filed March 29.1907. Serial No. 365.349.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS H. MERTES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, county of l/Vashington, and State of Visconsin,have invented new and useful Improvements in rPhill-Couplings, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thill couplings.

The object of my invention is to provide a form of thill coupling whichwill be absolutely safe and which can be readily removed and replacedwithout the necessity of first removing any other fastenings, bolts orattachments. Also to provide such a coupling with means to preventrattling Without involving the use of rubber cushions or other materialless durable than metal.

In the following description reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved coupling withthe thill iron in position of use. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.Fig. 3 is a front view of the same with the thill iron in raisedposition. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view drawn vertically through the trunnion axis.Fig. G is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified form ofconstruction.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

The coupling bracket 1 is provided with a yoke 2 of ordinary typeadapted to engage the axle bar 3, and the forwardly projecting portionof the bracket is provided with truunion bearings 4 for the thill iron.Slot 5 extends upwardly from these trunnion bearings to the top of thebracket to allow the trunnions to be manipulated into position in thebearings. The bracket is provided with an interior cylindrical cavity 7having its axis substantially eo-incident with that of the trunnionbearings, and a centrally located slide 8 extends from front to rearacross the cavity, with its ends resting in suitable slotted guide ways10 and 11 in the front and rear walls of the cavity respectively, Thisslide S is provided with a gen# erally circular aperture 13,corresponding with the cavity 7 and having an opening 14 leadingtherefrom through the top wall, this opening being considerably widerthan the slot 5 so as to permit a degree of movement to the slide 8Without having the opening 14 pass out of registry with the slot 5. Theslide 8 is seated against a spring 16 at the rear end of the guide way11 and this spring is adapted to push the slide forwardly for a shortdistance into the guide Way 10, the rear portion of the opening 14 inthe slide being in registry with slot 5 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The thill iron shank 18 is provided with forked arms 19 which straddlethe coupling bracket and are provided with inwardly projecting memberscomprising trunnions 2() having cross heads 21 at their inner ends whichproject in lines substantially parallel to the fork arms 1S). When thethill iron is raised substantially to an upright position, these crossheads and trunnions may be entered in the slot 5 and passed downwardlytherein until the trunnions rest in the bearings 4, the cross heads thenoccupying a position in the aperture 13 of the slide as shown in Fig. 4.The thill iron may then be swung to a horizontally position as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, when the cross heads will engage the rear wall of theaperture 13 and push the slide backwardly against the spring 16. Thereaction of the spring 16 presses the slide against the rear ends of thecross heads and prevents the parts from rattling. The slide and thecurved walls of the cavity 7 prevent the thill iron trunnions fromlifting when the thill iron is in this position since the cross headsare substantially equal in length to the diameter of the aperture or thecavity 7 and therefore cannot lift therein when horizontally disposed.The cross heads are preferably wider than the slide so as tosubstantially abut the .walls of the slide aperture and of the cavity 7.

The fork arms 19 prevent the thill iron from shifting laterally, thesearms being separated at a distance substantially equal to the width ofthe thill bracket. If desired however, the bracket may be furtherprovided with a centrally disposed, longitudinal slot 25, which receivesa plate 26. 'lhis plate enters a channel 27 in the slide S, and isprovided with a dowwardly projecting tongue 23 which extends between thecross heads and against which the inner margins of the cross heads arearranged to bear resiliently. With this arrangement the arms 19 may havesufficient spread to remain out of contact with the bracket, and thus bekept from marring it or scraping paint therefrom.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the

guide way 1l extends through the front end of the bracket, the slidebeing inserted at this end. In Fig. 6 the slide is inserted from beneathand held in position by cross pins 30. It will be understood, however,that any suitable means for inserting the'slide may be employed. l heseand other modifications of a mechanical nature will be suggested to themind of any ordinary mechanic skilled in the art to which this inventionpertains. It will also be understood that where the plate 26 is notemployed it is immaterial whether the cross heads are separated fromeach other or formed in a single piece.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is,

l. In a coupling of the described class the combination of a supportingbracket, a slide mounted therein and provided with a substantiallycircular aperture, a coupling member provided with forked arms embracingthe bracket and having inwardly projecting trunnions resting in suitablebearings in the bracket,-said trunnions being provided with cross headsadapted to swing in said slide apertura-and a spring arranged to pressthe slide against the ends of the cross heads, said bracket and slidebeing adapted'to permit the trunnions and cross heads to be manipulatedinto and out of position when the forke( arms are in a raised position.

2. In a thill coupling, the combination of a bracket provided with across slot terminating in a trunnion bearing at the base of the slot, athill iron provided with a trunnion having a rearwardly projectingmember adapted vto enter the cross slot at one side of the bearing, aslide mounted in the bracket across the plane of said slot and providedwith an opening adapted to receive said member,*said opening beingadapted to permit the member to swing to a position subtantially atright angles to the slot, and said member being adapted to substantiallyfit the opening in such position, together with means for pressing theslide resiliently against said member.

3. In a coupling of the described class, the combination of a supportingbracket provided with an openv cross slot extending downwardlyfrom itsupper surface, a centrally disposed slide mounted in suitable guide waysin said bracket and provided with an aperture opening through the top ofthe slide co-incidently with said slot and of greater width than theslot, a spring adapted to move the slide forwardly, a thill iron havingtrunnions adapted to enter said slot, and projections on the thill ironarranged, in one position of adjustment, to enter the aperture in theslide, and in another position to push the slide backwardly against thetension of said spring. I

4. In a coupling of the described class, the

combination of a supporting bracket provided with an open cross slotextending downwardly from its upper surface, a centrally disposed slidemounted in suitable guide ways in said bracket and provided with anaperture opening through the top of the slide c0- incidently with saidislot and of greater width than the slot, a spring adapted to move theslide forwardly, a thill iron having trunnions adapted to enter saidslot, and projections on the thill iron, arranged, in one position ofadjustment, to enter the aperture in the slide, and in another positionto push the slide backwardly against the tension of said spring,-saidbracket having a plate fitting a recess in said slide and extendingbetween the projections, whereby they are prevented from shiftinglaterally.

5. In a coupling of the described class, the combination of a supportingbracket provided with an open cross slot extending downwardly from itsupper surface, a centrally disposed slide mounted in suitable guide waysin said bracket and provided with an aperture of a generally circularform open at the upper side through the top of the slide, a springadapted to move the slide forwardly to a position with the slide openingcoincident with said slot, a thill iron provided with a member, adapted,when in one position of adjustment, to enter said slot and slideaperture,-said member being in length substantially equal to thediameter of the slide aperture and adapted to extend across the plane ofthe slot when the thill iron is in normal position of use, and saidthill iron having trunnions adapted to rest at the base of the slot whenthe thill iron is in such position.

'6. In a coupling of the described class, the combination of asupporting bracket provided with an open cross slot extending downwardlyfrom its upper surface, and leading to an interior cylindrical cavity, aslide extending across said cavity and provided with an aperture ofsubstantially the same diameter, opening through the top of the slideco-incidently with the cross slot, a spring adapted to move said slideforwardly with the slide aperture partially out of registry with saidcavity, and a thill iron provided with trunnions adapted to enter saidcross slot, and said trunnions having cross heads arranged to enter theslot in one position of adjustment and to extend across the cavity andthe plane of the slot in another position of adjustment, with its endssubstantially abutting the front and rear Walls of the cavity and of theslide aperture, whereby the slide is forced backwardly against thetension of the spring.

7. In a coupling of the described class, the combination of a supportingbracket provided with an open cross slot extending downwardly from itsupper surface and leading to an interior cavity having curved Vfront andrear walls, a slide mounted in said bracket and provided with anaperture substantially equal to the diameter of the cavity and havingcurved front and rear walls; a spring arranged to move said slide to aposition with the aperture partially out of registry with the cavity,and a thill iron provided with a meml ber adapted to enter the cavityand extending across the cavity with its ends substantially abutting thefront and rear walls ol" thc cavity and slide apertu1e,when the thilliron is in normal position, whereby the slide is l moved against thetension of said spring to bring` the aperture into registry with thecav- 15 ity,said thill iron member being of less thickness than thewidth ol the slot and adapted to move into and out of the same when thethill iron is in a raised position.

In testimony whoreol" I affix my signature 20 in the presence ol" twowitnesses.

NICHOLAS Il. MERTES.

Titnesscs 2 Il. A. SAwYIm, AGATHA DA'PP.

